>>Are you suggesting something like this:
>
>Pretty much, yes. In the similar case I had a class with oWord property and oWord_access() method, which would instantiate it if this.oWord=null, so the code was
>
>

>for i=1 to alen(aFNames)
>   loWord=this.oWord
>   loWord.open(aFNames[i])
>
>... word does more stuff here and closes the file in the end...
>
>   if i%100=0
>     this.oWord.quit(0)
>     this.oWord=null
>   endif
>endfor

>
>so the 2nd line would fire up this.oWord_access, which would instantiate word if it was just killed, or use the existing instance otherwise.

Thanks.

BUT

When I destroy Excel with

PROCEDURE DestroyExcel

TRY

_screen.oStuff.oExcel.displayalerts = .F.

CATCH
ENDTRY

TRY

_screen.oStuff.oExcel.QUIT()

CATCH

dummy = .t.

ENDTRY

TRY
_screen.oStuff.oExcel = NULL

CATCH

dummy = .t.

ENDTRY

RETURN

the task manager shows that Excel is still active! And the only way I can get rid of it is by cancelling the program and then it miraculously disappears!

(I confirmed with the debugger that the catch is NOT activated after I _screen.oStuff.oExcel.QUIT(), so I assume that the statement executes)

???